tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21608145928702909032016-09-08T12:28:44.128+08:00The Relief Rooma dumping place for all my shitAlvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-30349233128583722382012-11-18T01:10:00.000+08:002012-11-18T08:35:15.761+08:00November Pain<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yesterday afternoon, I visited the place where my elementary school once stood. Traces of it remain visible: the brown gate through which generations of schoolchildren had passed through; the floor of the gym (or to be more exact, auditorium)--now overrun with various weeds and grass as tall as cornstalks--that was the venue of numerous extracurricular activities; the outline of the stage where my classmates and I mounted modest versions of <i>Oliver!</i>&nbsp;(Grade 2) and <i>The King and I</i>&nbsp;(Grade 7); the now-weatherbeaten floor of my Grade 1 classroom, where I was picked on for the first time; and the tree that stood near where my Grade 7 classroom once was, where I often struggled to stop crying after enduring another day of bullying. Sadness, not nostalgia, crept over me. Sadness for all those that disappeared from that place: the school buildings, the playgrounds, even that defenseless and wounded boy who would later learn to will himself not to cry anymore.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-69621203616184736712010-10-18T00:10:00.007+08:002010-10-18T00:31:08.488+08:00Looking Forward by Looking Back<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Though it was published in the 112th founding anniversary supplement of <a href="http://www.manilatimes.net/"><i>The Manila Times</i></a>&nbsp;last October 11, the online version of the first article--the one with my byline, to be exact--I wrote for the newspaper only appeared yesterday. Below are the introductory paragraphs:</span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In one of the graduate-level literature courses I enrolled in several years ago at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, I remember award-winning author and critic Dr. Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo exalting the country's creative writers with a statement that I believe still holds true today. Writers, she asserted then, serve as the "memory of the [Filipino] nation."</span></i></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I think this can also be applied, to a certain extent, to other artists--actors, dancers, filmmakers, musicians, painters, sculptors--working today. The techniques and the technologies available today may be more sophisticated, even innovative; but observers would nonetheless point out how many of our artists--the older ones, especially--continue to draw inspiration from the past, or at least aspects of it. This is hardly surprising, considering how easily we seem to forget our history. In our country, art not only serves to entertain and enlighten, but also to remember.</span></i></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The rest of the article can be accessed <a href="http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/lifestyle/29108-looking-forward-by-looking-back">here</a>.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-45826439780655356702010-09-20T00:00:00.003+08:002010-09-20T00:00:00.569+08:00Art Attack<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Newspaper editorials rarely discuss matters about culture and the arts, so it's rather refreshing that <i><a href="http://www.manilatimes.net/">The Manila Times</a></i> had one on the subject last Saturday:</span><br /><blockquote><div style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>One of the more interesting ideas that prize-winning playwright and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) executive director Maria Lourdes “Malou” Jacob offered in an exclusive roundtable discussion with the editors and reporters of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The Manila Times</span> on Tuesday is the idea of employing our arts and culture to address, even attack an altogether different kind of “culture”—the pervasive culture of corruption, discrimination and violence in our country.</i></span></div><div style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span><i>Granted, this idea is hardly new. But the strange thing is, a lot of us seem to treat it as though it is something novel, even groundbreaking. Strange because our history has shown how many of our artists—composers, creative writers, painters—have deeply and totally espoused this idea.&nbsp;</i></span></div></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The rest of the editorial can be found </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/component/content/article/83-opinion-columnist/26118-art-of-the-matter">here</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-83860905250204794862008-06-12T23:20:00.012+08:002010-07-15T22:57:11.378+08:00Sing Out "Sister"<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Piling-pili lang ang mga pelikulang Pilipino na masasabi kong mga paborito ko. Isa na rito ang <span style="font-style: italic;">Sister Stella L.</span> (1984, Regal Films), na idinerehe ni Mike de Leon at tampok sina Jay Ilagan, Tony Santos Sr., Laurice Guillen at, ang pinakasikat sa kanilang lahat, Vilma Santos. Para sa akin, gustong-gusto ko ang pelikulang ito bilang isang <span style="font-style: italic;">character study</span> ng isang karaniwang madre na unti-unti naging isang di-karaniwang aktibista noong siyang nagsimulang makibaka sa isang grupo ng mga nagwewelgang manggagawa. Gustong-gusto ko rin ang<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>pelikula dahil sa mga awit na nilikha nina Pete Lacaba at Ding Achaoso. Isa na dito ang "Aling Pag-Ibig Pa," na kinanta ni Pat Castillo sa <span style="font-style: italic;">closing credits</span>:<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><blockquote><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya<br />Sa pag-ibig ko sa iyo, bayan ko?<br />Sa hirap at ginhawa<br />Sa ligaya't dalita,<br />Ako'y kasa-kasama mo.<br /><br />Kung ang gintong palay ay kumakaway<br />Katabi mo ako sa bukid, bayan ko.<br />Kung tigang ang lupa<br />At 'di ka makaluha<br />Ako ang magdidilig.<br /><br />Kung ang bulaklak ay humahalimuyak<br />Igagawa kita ng kwintas, bayan ko.<br />Kung magbababanta ang bagyo't sigwa<br />Ako'y may kubong ligtas.<br /><br />May pag-ibig pa bang higit na dakila<br />Sa pag-ibig ko sa iyo, bayan ko?<br />Wala na nga, wala<br />Wala na nga, wala<br />Wala na nga, wala.</span></blockquote></span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Isa pang awit mula sa <span style="font-style: italic;">Sister Stella L.</span> ay ang "Sangandaan." Kinanta din ito ni Pat Castillo sa pelikula. Pero sa YouTube video na ito, si Noel Cabangon naman:<br /><br /></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><object height="324" width="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BsKJuDO5JwM&amp;hl=en"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BsKJuDO5JwM&amp;hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="324" width="405"></embed></object></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />'Di ko maiwasang maalala ang mga kantang ito ngayong araw, sa mga nangyayari sa ating bansa ngayon. 'Di ko ring maiwasang maging malungkot: may ibang pag-ibig nang humigit pa sa pag-ibig sa bayan; at ang ating bansa, nananatili pa rin sa sangandaan. Sabi nga ng bida sa katapusan ng pelikula: "Kung hindi tayo kililos, sino ang kililos? Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?"<br /><br /></span></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-9967896487316964622010-07-15T22:40:00.005+08:002010-07-15T22:54:58.463+08:00Point of (Re)view<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Inspired by an important and lively discussion sparked by one of </i><a href="http://www.gibbscadiz.com/"><i>Gibbs Cadiz</i></a><i>'s Facebook status updates, I'm posting an article I wrote for&nbsp;</i><i><a href="http://www.rogue.ph/">Rogue Magazine</a>, which published a very slightly edited version of it last February. As an inactive reviewer who has experienced having one of his own works reviewed, I thought I was in a decent position to share my thoughts on the subject: reviewers.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Magazine and newspaper readers normally find them in the entertainment and lifestyle pages, praising a newly released&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">movie or panning a recently closed stage production. Authors, artists, and actors often check them out, curious to know what they think about their latest work. What they say can stroke one’s ego at a given moment or leave another feeling as if stabbed in the gut the next. Some call them critics; others snarkily call them criticizers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Appreciated or not, art/book/film/music/theater reviewers do not only draw attention to the ever-evolving works of art (or lack of it) being presented to the public, but also offer a closer and more informed view of these works. This view magnifies the qualities these works have, both positive and negative, for better or worse. Not too many people would bother to do that. Some of those who do honestly shouldn’t have bothered at all.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">One of them&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">is the reviewer who writes as though he or she is writing a bad book report. You’ll spot him or her devoting most of his or her review to retelling the story of the film or play he or she had watched. Worse, he or she does so in a way that discourages the reader from watching what could be a good movie or stage production. Why watch when the review practically narrates<span style="letter-spacing: -0.2pt;">&nbsp;the whole plot? Highlighting the work’s merits becomes nothing more than an afterthought</span>. The result? The review inadvertently highlights its own flaws instead.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Then&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">there’s the reviewer who you may think is a PR hack in disguise. Ever read a review so glowing in its praise that it hurts the eyes? A review so generous with superlatives, you’d think Santa Claus wrote it? Worse, a review touting a singer to be better than, say, Lea Salonga; or a filmmaker, for example, to be the next Lino Brocka? Reviewers can be as subjective as they like, but the real ones won’t write press releases and pass these off as reviews.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Gratefully,&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">many reviewers today write responsibly and thoughtfully. They don’t only point out what’s good and what’s not in a given work, but also explain why. Problem is, some do so as if giving a lecture or a sermon. You’ll sense it in the way they craft their critique, in the cool and impassive tone they adopt. They chide when singling out flaws. Their reviews may be sensible and smart and tactful to a fault, but these also lack bite and an engaging voice.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">On the&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">other end, you have those who review the way an academician or a priest might, but with a condescending and dismissive attitude. They’re sometimes among the first in line at the box office, waiting for their complimentary tickets. Even before their reviews get published, they would log on to their Facebook or Multiply accounts on occasion and bitch about the show they had just seen. Not a good idea. Dagger stares, imaginary bullseyes on their backs, and raised eyebrows sometimes appear as they pass by, and they usually shrug it off.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Not all&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">reviewers are like that, though. Several manage to find a pleasant balance in reviewing a particular work’s worth, or the absence of it. They often appraise fairly and intelligently, probing a book or movie or a play with a sensitive eye without sounding too scholarly. They assert their opinions confidently and firmly without coming across as bitchy. In person, they appear warm and unassuming. In print, they often seem particularly credible.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">But to me&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">the most compelling reviewers prove to be those whose voice, whose point of view, is so distinctive and strong, it shows in the reviews they write. Whether or not their readers agree with them, they keep them engaged. At their best, they even manage to convince a reader or two—more, in some cases—to see the work they reviewed their way. Magazines and newspapers could frankly use a few more of them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Love&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">them or loathe them, reviewers don't only let people know which works of art are worthwhile. They also provide certain ways of seeing things that readers may have otherwise missed.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-73583530588103754662009-09-27T22:20:00.015+08:002009-09-28T11:24:43.857+08:00Ondoy's Onslaught<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/Sr9spNGuRjI/AAAAAAAAAQM/McuXfuNHWsg/s1600-h/Flooded+Room.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/Sr9spNGuRjI/AAAAAAAAAQM/McuXfuNHWsg/s320/Flooded+Room.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386143134506698290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">True, Typhoon Ondoy's relentless rains flooded my room (see above)--my one-storey house--yesterday until the water reached around my knees, but I feel so thankful and lucky. I know people who barely and literally kept their heads or shoulders above water when the flood rushed in.<br /><br />True, Typhoon Ondoy totally ruined some precious documents--certain issues of publications where (most of) my stories first saw print, for instance--but I still feel so thankful and lucky. I imagine all those people who lost far more valuable things--certificates, passports, letters from loved ones--never to be recovered.<br /><br />True, Typhoon Ondoy destroyed some possessions my family held dear, but I remain thankful and lucky. I think of all those men and women who lost cars and clothes, even houses. I think of those who lost a loved one--or worse, those who lost their own lives.<br /><br />True, Typhoon Ondoy, in one way or another, vomitted all the collected filth and grime that has been clogging our gutters, but in a strange way I feel thankful that it did. What choice do we have except to clean it up, to clean up after ourselves, to clean up our act? Isn't that a terrific lesson the storm has taught us? I think we should all be grateful for that alone.<br /><br /></span></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-29499986869240669122009-08-30T00:50:00.003+08:002009-08-31T07:36:38.171+08:00Prize-winning Penmasters II<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Winners of this year's Philippines Free Press Literary Awards were announced last night. Charlson Ong led the Board of Judges for Fiction, which included Timothy Montes and Dr. Paraluman Giron while Ricardo de Ungria chaired the Board of Judges for Poetry, which included J. Neil Garcia and Danton Remoto.<br /><br />The winners are:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FICTION:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Prize:</span> Rhea B. Politado, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Epic Life</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second Prize:</span> Menchu Aquino Sarmiento, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Marita Pangan</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Third Prize:</span> John Bengan, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Bad Heart</span> and Sasha Martinez, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Catherine Theory</span>. (tie)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">POETRY:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Prize:</span> Arkaye Kierulf, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Textbook Statistics</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second Prize:</span> Sid Gomez Hildawa, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Poet Talks to an Old Movie</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Third Prize:</span> Mikael de Lara Co, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Mebuyen</span>.<br /><br />Congratulations to all the winners, especially to Kael!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Info source: </span><a href="http://sungazer.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/four-eyes-etc/">Sungazer (Eliza Victoria): Four eyes, etc.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://sungazer.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/four-eyes-etc/"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-80958374372318011832009-08-01T10:05:00.006+08:002009-08-01T11:20:33.738+08:00Corazon Cojuangco Aquino: 1933-2009<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SnOj6b6wbTI/AAAAAAAAAPk/ggE_Ihqahdw/s1600-h/Cory+Aquino+%28Richard+Samaniego+Roque%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SnOj6b6wbTI/AAAAAAAAAPk/ggE_Ihqahdw/s400/Cory+Aquino+%28Richard+Samaniego+Roque%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364811805450333490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREAKING NEWS: Millions greet Aquino upon arrival</span><br /><br />HEAVEN -- Millions of blessed and joyous souls who had patiently gathered and waited at the Pearly Gates for the past several days greeted former Philippine president Corazon "Cory" Cojuangco Aquino upon her much-anticipated arrival at 3:18 a.m. today.<br /><br />According to the Archangel Gabriel, celestial communications chief, the Apostle Peter quickly admitted her into the Kingdom, where a cheering legion of her loved ones, led by her husband, former Philippine senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., rushed to surround and embrace her at the waiting lounge.<br /><br />"Thank God, you're now here!" an overjoyed Ninoy was heard to have exclaimed, according to witnesses.<br /><br />Outside the terminal, the former senator led Aquino to a gleaming two-seater open coach, which she initially declined to step in out of humility. After the couple rode away in it en route to the Palace of the Almighty, trumpets blared and angels and souls lining the path to the Holy Home threw confetti on them as they passed.<br /><br />Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, is expected to personally greet her at the palace and escort her to the Most Blessed Trinity.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">* * * * *</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Rest in peace, Madame President. Thank you very, very much.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Photo:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Richard Samaniego Roque, from the Cory Aquino Facebook Page.</span><br /><br /></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-25065742908112085752009-07-29T19:20:00.007+08:002009-07-30T09:58:45.471+08:00The 2009 National Artists Massacre: Lord, Have Mercy on Us!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Granted, the process of selecting National Artists, whether by committee or by the President's prerogative, has always been flawed. But after looking at the <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090729-217787/Arroyo-names-7-National-Artists-for-09">list</a> of the most recent honorees--I mean, come on! Seriously?!<br /><br />The present NCCA executive director, a newly-minted National Artist for Theater? True, she founded one of the country's finest theater companies, but to be named for that alone? What the hell?! And the sunglass-wearing moviemaker best known for his string of cheap "massacre" movies, a National Artist for Film and Visual Arts?! <span style="font-style: italic;">Naknamputsa naman</span>.<br /><br />My heart goes out to the other, much more deserving five who have to share the now-tarnished honor. I'm expecting a hell of a storm brewing. If it does, it can turn real bad.<br /><br /></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-62164079139871107582009-07-24T15:20:00.015+08:002009-07-24T22:22:48.272+08:00Cinemalaya 2009: 24K<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/Smhwx-uhR4I/AAAAAAAAAPU/KKhfkPAB-m4/s1600-h/%5BCinemalaya+2009%5D+24K.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/Smhwx-uhR4I/AAAAAAAAAPU/KKhfkPAB-m4/s200/%5BCinemalaya+2009%5D+24K.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361659360338593666" border="0" /></a><br />The story may not be new, but just the same it promises to be fraught with drama: encouraged by a good omen, three treasure hunters--Manok (Julio Diaz), Freddie (Archi Adamos), and Boyet (Jojit Lorenzo)--return to their digging site in Suyo, Ilocos Sur and rejoin Karlo (Miguel Vasquez) and Arturo (Alchris Galura) in excavating what they believe is gold that the Japanese had buried during World War II. Signs at the site--shadow formations and nearly indistinguishable marks on rocks included--tell them that they're certain to unearth the treasure. But the locals are already aware and suspicious of their prolonged presence, and fear and paranoia inevitably set in.<br /><br />Truth to tell, there are several things to like about <span style="font-style: italic;">24K</span>. There's the competent camerawork and editing, for one. The musical score is another, serving its purpose well, even if it has a suspiciously East Asian flavor to it. The amusing repartée between Manok, Freddie and Boyet, and their long climb back to the site, fly. And those smaller-scale rice terraces are quite lovely to behold. Compared to Chito Roño's <span style="font-style: italic;">Yamashita: The Tiger's Treasure</span> (2001), this film is several notches higher.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I couldn't add the characters to that list.<br /><br />It's not that I didn't like them. It's just that I ultimately didn't find them as interesting as much as I (and they) should. The way I see it, writer-director Ana Agabin didn't flesh them out further, didn't make their personalities distinct enough. They even sound oddly alike, if one thinks about it. She also didn't delve that deeply into their desire and drive for treasure hunting, but to be fair she did touch on it in a nighttime scene midway through the movie. As a result, whatever tension the characters created among themselves comes off as superficial or weak. It's a shame, for the uniformly solid cast got shortchanged by this shortcoming.<br /><br />Among the five, only Boyet stands out due to his habit of leaving food, beer and lit cigarettes for the site's guardian spirits, but I failed to know anything else about him beyond that. And when Manok hurries down the site and eventually unearths something unexpected in the end, it startled me. Specifically, it startled me that I didn't feel anything for him. No sense of loss, <span style="font-style: italic;">nada</span>. It certainly didn't help that the fortysomething Diaz, who I must say could still reasonably pass for someone a few years younger, has never been a compelling, intense performer.<br /><br />Also: that tribal dance toward the end, interesting as it was to watch, didn't serve the plot at all.<br /><br />Too bad, really: I honestly wanted to like <span style="font-style: italic;">24K </span>more. But with characters I barely got to know or care, this movie is not exactly the goldmine it could have been.<br /><br /></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-9088469012047758852009-07-22T22:55:00.007+08:002009-07-23T00:00:15.110+08:00Cinemalaya 2009: Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe (The Rapture of Fe)<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SmcqzUbuIFI/AAAAAAAAAO8/2CfZdPJVe_U/s1600-h/%5BCinemalaya+2009%5D+Ang+Panggagahasa+kay+Fe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 161px; height: 242px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SmcqzUbuIFI/AAAAAAAAAO8/2CfZdPJVe_U/s400/%5BCinemalaya+2009%5D+Ang+Panggagahasa+kay+Fe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361300942554538066" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">On paper, the material is as melodramatic as they come: an antagonistic, very resentful rattan harvester (Nonie Buencamino) constantly lashes out at his basket-weaving wife (Irma Adlawan) since she returned home after being laid off in Singapore. No longer able to endure the abuse, she rekindles her relationship with a former lover who's now her employer (TJ Trinidad), hoping he would help her out. However, the inexplicable and persistent delivery of dark-skinned fruits at her house suggest the presence of a suitor, who may or may not be her savior.<br /><br />So many things can go wrong in this surprisingly short full-length film, but screenwriter-director Alvin Yapan admirably manages to avoid the pitfalls that usually accompany his chosen material. His decision to introduce elements of folklore elevates and enriches the story, and the measured pace and subdued tone he maintains throughout the film reminds one of short fiction. Which is no surprise at all: Yapan is a Palanca-winning fictionist in Filipino. The first few scenes show the filmmaker at his most confident, but the ones with Fe and Arturo, especially inside that huge rattan lounging chair--they come across as rather show-offy.<br /><br />The cast give committed, textured performances, especially by Adlawan. Her part may invite less talented actresses to go on histrionics at every possible turn, but under Yapan's helming she inhabits Fe credibly, simply and without any fuss. Buenacamino similarly underplays his role and consequently shows Dante as a once-good husband who lets his disappointment and frustration at the cards life had dealt him with turn him into an unapologetic wifebeater. Though Trinidad is adequate as Arturo, one gets the feeling that the role is better suited to an older actor.<br /><br />The movie may touch substantially on domestic abuse, but in my mind it actually deals with the idea of escape. The way I see it, Fe is always looking for a way to escape, be it from the harsh life she and Dante were living (as gleaned from the fact that they had to reluctantly sell their land so that she could work abroad) or the hostile situation she found herself in when she came home. This is reinforced at one point by Arturo's brother, who wants to return to Manila and escape the hardship in helping to take care of his incapacitated father. It is this need to escape that drives her to seek out her suitor, who may <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> may not offer her a way out. The ending reflects this clearly, and whatever choice she makes saves <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> dooms her. She is a truly tragic figure, much more so than what may be her closest counterpart, Persephone.<br /><br />A battered wife. An abusive husband. An attractive ex-lover. An unseen suitor. In lesser hands, such a combination of these characters promise melodrama at its lowest. Luckily, that isn't the case here. Solidly scripted and directed, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe</span> is an effective and restrained film that offers a portrait of a woman always looking for a way out.<br /><br /></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-74407446204878434262009-07-07T02:20:00.013+08:002009-07-07T21:34:36.689+08:00Untried, Untested, Unstaged, Unpublished<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SlI8Qtp0H4I/AAAAAAAAAOs/MJ-_HxprYI8/s1600-h/Virgin+Labfest+V+Poster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SlI8Qtp0H4I/AAAAAAAAAOs/MJ-_HxprYI8/s200/Virgin+Labfest+V+Poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355409164727492482" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">For many people, this year's edition of the just-concluded Virgin Labfest will be memorable for many reasons. Some will remember the unprecedented increase in ticket sales, despite the harsh and honestly hole-riddled arguments of a stubbornly sharp-tongued university-based theater reviewer. Others will recall not so much of what happened onstage, but more of what took place offstage. A few may probably dwell on what went wrong this time around. But most will not forget, at the very least not now, the fact that this year's festival, like in the past, has been a solid success.<br /><br />I had planned on not writing at all about this year's edition, which would have been a first. But the way I (later) saw it, to not write about it means that I'm indifferent to it: to the diversity of the plays mounted, to what each has accomplished despite its flaws. And it's very difficult to be indifferent to something like the Virgin Labfest, especially when the people behind it cared so much for it. To be indifferent is a great disservice, and apathy is one thing that we seem to have in appallingly enormous supply nowadays.<br /><br />That said, below are what I think made this year's Virgin Labfest such a treat:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ACTOR: </span>Jonathan Tadioan, in Layeta Bucoy's <span style="font-style: italic;">Doc Resurrecion: Gagamutin ang Bayan</span>.<br /><br />"Ferocious" is perhaps the perfect word to describe this actor, both for his commitment to every role he takes on and the performance that it results. His appearance, thick facial hair notwithstanding, may not strike me as particularly menacing, but the way he projects danger does. I used the aforementioned word to describe his performance in Tim Dacanay's <span style="font-style: italic;">Pamantasang Hirang</span> last year, and I'm using it again for his portrayal of the rude, crude and corrupted cousin of the title character in Layeta Bucoy's gripping and ultimately unsettling drama.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ACTRESS:</span> Marjorie Lorico, in Tim Dacanay's <span style="font-style: italic;">Ang Huling Lektyur ni Misis Reyes</span>.<br /><br />The Virgin Labfest has always featured works that have substantial lead roles for actresses, and this year's edition was no exception. Gigi Escalanate in <span style="font-style: italic;">Maliw</span>, Mayen Estanero in <span style="font-style: italic;">So Sangibo a Ranon na Piyatay o Satiman a Tadman</span>, Mailes Kanapi in <span style="font-style: italic;">Kitchen Medea</span>, Skyzx Labastilla in <span style="font-style: italic;">Isang Araw sa Karnabal</span>, Sherry Lara and Raquel Villavicencio in <span style="font-style: italic;">Asawa/Kabit</span>--I would have chosen any one of them on any other day. But I chose Marjorie Lorico for the simple reason that I remember her performance the most, and remember it positively. I have admired this actress' considerable talent for a long time now, and her engaging portrayal of the easily distracted and stressed-out title character is, without a doubt, the highlight in Tim Dacanay's monologue.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SUPPORTING ACTOR:</span> Sugus Legaspi, in J. Dennis Teodosio's <span style="font-style: italic;">Salise</span>.<br /><br />For some reason, I never found this actor's past performances particularly noteworthy. But his role as the <span style="font-style: italic;">kubrador</span> dad in J. Dennis Teodosio's latest comedy changed that. It helped a lot that his character has much of the play's most hilarious lines, and I thought he delivered them very well. I may be wrong, but I believe this is the second time he has taken on a comic role, the first being in Nicolas Pichay's <span style="font-style: italic;">Tingnan Natin ang Mukha Niya</span> waaaaay back in 2001. Maybe it's just me, but I feel his talent is better suited for wisecrack-filled comedies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SUPPORTING ACTRESS:</span> Julia Enriquez, in Reuel Molina Aguila's <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Maliw</span>.<br /><br />In any other day I would have selected Roence Santos for her competent turns in <span style="font-style: italic;">Salise </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">So Sangibo a Ranon na Piyatay o Satiman a Tadman</span>, but there's something about Julia Enriquez's role as the <span style="font-style: italic;">desaparecido</span> eldest daughter of former activists-turned-academicians that's inherently compelling. The daughter's expected-yet-unexpected visit in the play (as wishfully imagined by the denial-gripped mother) powerfully lends flesh and blood to the protagonist's gnawing grief and eventually gives the latter the closure she needs. In that role, I felt Julia Enriquez turned in a fine performance.<br /><br />(Note: Though I failed to watch it, I heard that Cats Racsag, a last-minute replacement for Julia when the latter was hospitalized for appendicitis and therefore couldn't perform in the last show, was--let me put it this way--miraculous as the daughter. I would've loved to watch her.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ENSEMBLE:</span> The cast of Sheilfa Alojamiento's <span style="font-style: italic;">Boy-Gel ang Gelpren ni Mommy</span>.<br /><br />Among the plays staged this year, Alojamiento's work charmed me the most. I truly admire how it tackled lesbianism simply, sensitively, and without needless fuss. And I find her decision to use the children's perspective to be rather refreshing. The cast responded accordingly and I, in turn, responded very well to their chemistry. They performed as a solid team; no one tried to upstage the others. Isn't that what a true ensemble is?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DIRECTOR:</span> Riki Benedicto, for Rogelio Braga's </span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-style: italic;">So Sangibo a Ranon na Piyatay o Satiman a Tadman.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span><br />A few may dispute this, but I feel the debuting director's helming is the most striking thing about this play. Rogelio Braga's elegiac play on the 1971 Tacub Massacre as filtered through the memories of a consequently jaded Christian witness presents challenges that can give any director, experienced or not, a lingering, thoughtful pause. That said, I'm quite impressed at how deftly Riki Benedicto handled the play's three timelines, and his flashlight-illuminated staging of the roundup and subsequent massacre of the innocent Maranaos was nothing short of riveting.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PLAY:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Isang Araw sa Karnabal</span> by Nicolas Pichay.<br /><br />The recent increase in forced disappearances in the country has made the topic of <span style="font-style: italic;">desaparecidos</span> a very relevant one once more. The heartbreaking loss, the unbearable lack of closure, the need for relief, the gradually fading hope that the loved one will return--Nicolas Pichay wonderfully addressed all these and more in typical Pichayesque fashion. No one but him can think of setting a play on <span style="font-style: italic;">desaparecidos</span> in a place so unusual and rich in irony and comic potential like an Enchanted Kingdom-like theme park. No one but him can use a comic tone and get away with it, especially with the subject his play deals with. And most of all, no one but him can think of the idea of faux, beehive-shaped shit as candy. I won't be surprised if this play will be restaged next year as part of Virgin Labfest 5 Revisted.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">To the VLF playwrights, actors, directors and behind-the-scene staffers</span>: Bravo!<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-44975181102822098142009-07-02T21:30:00.002+08:002009-07-06T18:35:50.744+08:00Protagonists, Politics, Poison<span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Last week I watched two one-act plays that startled me, not because of their apparent differences, but rather for their accidental similarities. The first, Oggie Arcenas's <span style="font-style: italic;">Isang Mukha ng Pandaraya</span>, is inspired by the cheating controversy that rocked the UP School of Economics early last year. His interpretation of the scandal uses a she-said/she-said setup--to prevent a clear-cut presentation of the facts, one strongly suspects--that exposes the less-than-noble qualities of all (well, almost; one may argue that the complainant's attorney is an exception) those involved in the case. The second, Layeta P. Bucoy's <span style="font-style: italic;">Doc Resurrecion: Gagamutin ang Bayan</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">, </span></span>features an increasingly discomforting clash of wills between two adult cousins, both sharing the same surname and the same ambition to run for their town's mayorship and nothing else. Like most of Bucoy's plays, it does not end well.<br /><br />Two things about the plays gave me pause. One, both protagonists have serious flaws. <span style="font-style: italic;">Isang Mukha</span> has a hotheaded complainant who possesses an unwholesome reputation on campus, which the memorable last scene decidedly confirms. As for the title character in Bucoy's play, his appalling but understandable sense of shame about his impoverished roots threatens to undermine his well-intentioned plans for his hometown.<span style="font-style: italic;"></span> Their less-than-sterling character threaten to bring them down. Both dare the audience to dislike them. True, many other, greater plays have featured such characters, but one could not help but remain compelled by them.<br /><br />The other? In my mind, what struck me most about <span style="font-style: italic;">Isang Mukha</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Doc Resurrecion</span> was that it highlighted the role politics--academic, familial and everything in between--play in poisoning (surprise, surprise) institutions and societies, even families. Bucoy's play especially demonstrates this, with cousin turning against cousin, with disturbing consequences. Even more disturbing, we often see this poison working in real life, right in our faces, right out in the open. But you know what's most disturbing? Most of us have become indifferent--numb--to it. Sad thing is, we're aware of it.<br /><br />The protagonists may be tragic. But then again, so are we.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-14139057639081488502009-07-04T00:35:00.003+08:002009-07-04T10:03:31.390+08:00Prize-winning Penmasters<span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Winners of this year's Philippine Graphic-Nick Joaquin Literary Awards were published in the July 6, 2009 issue of the said magazine. Literary editor Marra PL. Lanot headed the Board of Judges, which was also composed</span> of award-winning fictionists Luis Katigbak and Susan Lara. Awarding rites were held last June 25 at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel in Santa Cruz, Manila.<br /><br />The winners are:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Prize:</span> Rosario Cruz Lucero, for <a href="http://www.philippinegraphic.com.ph/v19n12d082008/fiction01.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Papa's Field</span></a>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second Prize:</span> Erwin E. Castillo, for <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.philippinegraphic.com.ph/v19n30&amp;31d122008-012009/fiction01.html">Cape Engaño</a>.</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.philippinegraphic.com.ph/v19n30&amp;31d122008-012009/fiction01.html"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Third Prize:</span> Sasha Martinez (published as Fe P. Koons), for <a href="http://www.philippinegraphic.com.ph/v19n17d092008/fiction01.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">This Fleet of Shadows</span></a>.<br /><br />This is the second time Lucero won first prize in this particular contest. I loved her stories since owning a copy of her National Book Award-winning <span style="font-style: italic;">Feast and Famine: Stories of Negros</span>, and had an ultimately rewarding time learning from her in the fiction-writing class I took several semesters ago. I find it so amazing that every time she wins in a literary competition, it's <span style="font-weight: bold;">always</span> first place. <span style="font-style: italic;">Kainis, ang galing.</span><br /><br />Congratulations to Ma'am Chari and the rest of the winners!<br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-47403392307155566662008-12-25T07:15:00.003+08:002008-12-25T07:19:52.258+08:00Happy Holidays<span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SVLC6g1nlMI/AAAAAAAAAOg/y8l90WRmKlM/s1600-h/Advent+Wreath+Baby.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SVLC6g1nlMI/AAAAAAAAAOg/y8l90WRmKlM/s400/Advent+Wreath+Baby.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283499623362041026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-36432274514812090402008-11-25T19:05:00.010+08:002008-11-25T20:45:23.165+08:00Concert with a Cause<span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SSe6m3Dkp4I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/Ge3rkZBgp2Y/s1600-h/Patatag+Gig.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SSe6m3Dkp4I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/Ge3rkZBgp2Y/s320/Patatag+Gig.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271387065637185410" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Like many Filipinos, I love music. To be specific, I love listening to music; God apparently did not bless me with an awesome voice or enough patience to learn a musical instrument. And I'm one of those guys who can appreciate, even like, all kinds of music (well, except classic country). One kind of music that I really have a soft spot for are the Filipino progressive songs of the 1980s. I first listened to them as a high school junior, during rehearsals for a school production of Ritchie Valencia's <span style="font-style: italic;">Juan Obrero</span>. Our drama teacher thought to use Filipino progressive music to match the play's equally progressive content, hence my co-performers and I got to listen to Joey Ayala, Buklod and Gary Granada for the first time. I remember how their songs--Ayala's "<span style="font-style: italic;">Bata Batuta</span>" and Buklod's "<span style="font-style: italic;">Buhay at Bukid</span>," among others--impressed me with their sobering lyrics, stirring melodies and undeniable sincerity. So different from the ones being played on the radio then.<span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Last Friday, at Rody's open invitation I went to a special gig at the '70s Bistro. How special? Patatag, one of the country's finest progressive musical groups, performed a benefit gig for one of their members. I've been inclined to go: I've heard Rody, one of the group's founding members, recall his experiences with Patatag to the Bloc before, and I've been quite interested to get a hold of their three-CD set (a little pricey, but definitely worth it) that comes with the ticket to the gig. And I am not the only one: so many people came, packing the place. Not just friends, but fans of the group's music as well. Clearly Patatag has developed a devoted following through the years.<br /><br />Anyone who watched that night knew why the group has so many admirers. Many of those who came to the gig grew up during the early 1980s--the time Patatag was formed--and as expected the group's songs have great nostalgic value for them. For others, including myself, it's really a pleasure to hear their voices blend so well, singing with such conviction and power in one rousing song after another: "<span style="font-style: italic;">Pagbabago.</span>" "<span style="font-style: italic;">Dapat Bawiin.</span>" "<span style="font-style: italic;">Wala Nang Tao sa Santa Filomena.</span>" Rody had a few strong solo numbers (including the very famous "<span style="font-style: italic;">Manggagawa</span>" from <span style="font-style: italic;">Sister Stella L.</span>, which the audience loved). So did the very sweet-voiced Susan Fernandez and Patatag's musical father Jess Santiago. If there's a complaint, it's the fact the mini-concert was too short.<br /><br />Below is a video of the group singing "<span style="font-style: italic;">Wala Nang Tao sa Santa Filomena</span>" at the gig, which I found on YouTube. See how good they were:<br /><br /><object width="405" height="324"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ovkD0plk0LE&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ovkD0plk0LE&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="405" height="324"></embed></object><br /><br />I've been listening to Patatag's three albums since last Friday, and as far as I'm concerned I like the first one, titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Nagbabagang Lupa</span>, the best. Perhaps that album's main theme--the unjust and miserable conditions facing our poor farmers, which I feel very sympathetic about--had a hand in my liking it so much, but to offer that as <span style="font-weight: bold;">the </span>reason, I feel, doesn't give the songs justice. "<span style="font-style: italic;">Julian Makabayan</span>"? A pleasure to listen. "<span style="font-style: italic;">Nagbabagang Lupa</span>"? Heartrending. "<span style="font-style: italic;">Tano</span>"? Simple but very powerful. "<span style="font-style: italic;">Wala Nang Tao sa Santa Filomena</span>"? Haunting. "<span style="font-style: italic;">Dapat Bawiin</span>"? Stirring. "<span style="font-style: italic;">Butil ng Palay</span>"? Bittersweet, its melody reminding me of lullabies.<br /><br />Before they ended the gig last Friday, Patatag announced that they'll be having another concert on May 1--Labor Day--next year. I'm sure a lot of people will come--myself included. Their gig last Friday have made me an earnest admirer.<br /><br /></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-69542963875644136302008-11-15T00:55:00.007+08:002008-11-15T22:17:29.849+08:00He's the Man (Asian)!<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SR2Du8uOduI/AAAAAAAAAOI/MelGTJUp0ks/s1600-h/Miguel+Syjuco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SR2Du8uOduI/AAAAAAAAAOI/MelGTJUp0ks/s320/Miguel+Syjuco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268511981690582754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">2008 Man Asian Literary Prize winner Miguel "Chuck" Syjuco</span><br /><br /></div>I'm sure most, if not all those in the Philippine literary community have heard--and are rejoicing, I would imagine--by now that Montreal-based Miguel "Chuck" Syjuco won this year's <a href="http://www.manasianliteraryprize.org/2008/index.php">Man Asian Literary Prize</a>--the Asian equivalent of the Booker Prize--for his debut novel <span style="font-style: italic;">Ilustrado</span>. This win naturally reinforces the terrific buzz surrounding the novel after it garnered the Grand Prize at the Palancas last September. Now a lot of people, myself included, eagerly await its publication.<br /><br />I don't know the man personally, but I can't help but feel happy for him. Imagine, winning at his age (31) and with his very first novel? Very few writers can pull that off. More importantly, I'm happy about Syjuco's win for it may help bring overdue attention to the country as an emerging force in the global literary stage. Maybe the exposure resulting from the victory may get more people, particularly those in the West, interested in the stories we tell and how we write them. Wouldn't that be sweet?<br /><br />At the same time, I can't help but notice how, judging from the premise and the <a href="http://www.manasianliteraryprize.org/2008/MiguelSyjuco_Ilustrado_Excerpt.pdf">excerpt</a>, history plays a pivotal role in the narrative. In that sense, it appears <span style="font-style: italic;">Ilustrado</span> is the latest in a very long line of novels where history is a major player. Needless to say, history will remain a top topic for writers to tackle--and that's something I sort of feel ambivalent about, at least as I write this.<br /><br />In any case, Syjuco winning the Man Asian Literary Prize is a huge encouragement. Not only to him, but also, to a certain extent, to the Philippine literary community. For that, among many things, his victory should be celebrated.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Photo:</span> <a href="http://www.manasianliteraryprize.org/2008/2008winner.php">The Man Asian Literary Prize</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-79539650096336418952008-08-06T19:10:00.003+08:002008-11-15T22:12:31.373+08:00Winning Wordsmiths<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Earlier this evening, I browsed through the pages of the latest issue of the <a href="http://www.philippinegraphic.com.ph/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Philippine Graphic</span></a> (dated August 11, I believe) and saw that it has already announced its winners for the 2007-2008 Philippine Graphic-Nick Joaquin Literary Contest:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Prize:</span> Virgilio Harry C. Tejero, for <span style="font-style: italic;">How Baby Doll Became an Amazon</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second Prize:</span> Raymund P. Reyes, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Marie, 22, DH</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Third Prize:</span> Danton Remoto, for <a href="http://dantonremoto2010.blogspot.com/2008/07/wings-of-desire.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wings of Desire</span></a>.<br /><br />Apparently, the awarding ceremony took place last month, and according to Remoto, he learned about his win in mid-June. Tejero's first-prize win this time marks his fourth, and as such is inducted into the competition's Hall of Fame.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Belated CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners!</span><br /><br /></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-50245011733570878212008-11-05T12:20:00.011+08:002008-11-05T12:48:59.322+08:00A "Barry" Happy Day<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>What else can I say, honestly? America just made progress--and consequently, history--today. And the world will be better for it.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SREldy1QNxI/AAAAAAAAAN4/2fU10SdG4Po/s1600-h/Shepard+Fairey%27s+Barack+Obama.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SREldy1QNxI/AAAAAAAAAN4/2fU10SdG4Po/s320/Shepard+Fairey%27s+Barack+Obama.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265030633164388114" border="0" /></a><br />Congratulations, President-elect Barack Obama. Congratulations, America. Couldn't be happier, or more relieved.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Photo:</span> <a href="http://obeygiant.com/post/obama">Obey Giant: Obama</a></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-33158430199927640682008-08-09T11:30:00.006+08:002008-08-10T08:05:36.369+08:00Light My Fire<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />It may not match the deep emotional power of the sight of Parkinson's-afflicted Muhammad Ali lighting the cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but it's as inventive (if not more) as the spectacle of an archer shooting a flaming arrow towards the cauldron at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. What a brilliant conclusion to a mind-blowing opening ceremony.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SJ4wc935a9I/AAAAAAAAAKU/mOwOR8RUI38/s1600-h/2008+Olympics+%28Yahoo%21+Reuters%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SJ4wc935a9I/AAAAAAAAAKU/mOwOR8RUI38/s320/2008+Olympics+%28Yahoo%21+Reuters%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232673091254578130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo courtesy of Yahoo!/Reuters)</span><br /></div><br />I wonder how London will top that four years from now. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">WOW</span>.<br /><br /></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-60705721662592749772008-08-01T22:15:00.009+08:002008-08-02T02:52:50.198+08:00Cinemalaya 2008: Namets!<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SJNQHuHviHI/AAAAAAAAAKM/ri7WNso4Ses/s1600-h/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+Namets%21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SJNQHuHviHI/AAAAAAAAAKM/ri7WNso4Ses/s320/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+Namets%21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229611685877090418" border="0" /></a><br />For a film with a plot as thin as a thread and a cast led by two very attractive starlets (Christian Vasquez and Angel Jacob) who perform as if they're still acting in commercials, Jay Abello's <span style="font-style: italic;">Namets!</span> (which means "delicious" in Ilonggo) managed to come across as a charming comic confection. How so? Well, Abello's consistent use of a lightweight, angst-free tone contributes part of the movie's charm, as does director Peque Gallaga's effective acting turn as a gibberish-speaking local kingpin. And as someone born and bred in Manila, the movie's location--Bacolod City--and Ilonggo dialogue (with English subtitles) completely engaged me.<br /><br />But what I like most about <span style="font-style: italic;">Namets!</span> is that it introduces the audience to Negrosanon cuisine; call it <span style="font-style: italic;">Negrosanon Cuisine 101</span>, if you will. The late, great <span style="font-style: italic;">PDI </span>food critic and Silay City native Doreen G. Fernandez would've approved of the effort, I'm sure. But at some point I felt it remained just that: an introduction. It never really satisfied my hunger to know more about this particular cuisine: the contrasting textures, the different flavors, the culture behind it. In other words, what makes it special, unique? The uproarious vignettes spread throughout the film (the best features the wonderful Ronnie Lazaro as a meat-starved farmer), though enlightening to some extent, helped very, very little in this regard.<br /><br />In a way, I wish I had watched this movie first; it's the perfect, pleasant appetizer for most of the Cinemalaya full-length entries this year that had served as the main course.<br /><br />UP NEXT: Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil's <span style="font-style: italic;">Boses.</span><br /><br /></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-19531841349381761502008-07-27T22:50:00.004+08:002008-07-27T22:58:53.783+08:00Cinemalaya 2008: My Fake American Accent<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SIyMS0318GI/AAAAAAAAAKE/Tf0NEhk5ORs/s1600-h/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+My+Fake+American+Accent.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SIyMS0318GI/AAAAAAAAAKE/Tf0NEhk5ORs/s320/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+My+Fake+American+Accent.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227707522528702562" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Ten reasons why I admire Onnah Valera and Ned Trespeces's call-center comedy <span style="font-style: italic;">My Fake American Accent</span>:<br /></div><ol><li>Ned Trespeces is my friend.</li><li>Mailes Kanapi is an amazing actress.</li><li>The film's production design looks and feels authentic.</li><li>Ned Trespeces is my friend.</li><li>The tagline--"Fake it 'til you make it"--is rather cute.</li><li>Writer-friends making cameo appearances.<br /></li><li>Ned Trespeces is my friend.</li><li>The episodic, almost Altmanesque structure suits the material quite well, I think.<br /></li><li>The trailer looks quite intriguing.</li><li>Ned Trespeces is my friend. Ü<br /></li></ol>UP NEXT: Jay Abello's <span style="font-style: italic;">Namets!<br /><br /></span>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-14266810284105600782008-07-26T17:00:00.005+08:002008-07-26T17:09:36.189+08:00Cinemalaya 2008: Concerto<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SIrpK8N6BlI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/3bMacWdVSgs/s1600-h/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+Concerto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SIrpK8N6BlI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/3bMacWdVSgs/s320/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+Concerto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227246691689301586" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">If watching <span style="font-style: italic;">Ranchero</span> felt like being in unwarranted solitary confinement, watching <span style="font-style: italic;">Concerto</span> felt as if I attended a <span style="font-style: italic;">tertulia</span>. Films set during Japanese Occupation-era Philippines are rather rare, and Paul Alexander Morales's fine film is a welcome addition to that list. It may not be as great as Peque Gallaga's <span style="font-style: italic;">Oro, Plata, Mata</span> (1982), but it's definitely much better than Cesar Montano's earnest<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Panaghoy sa Suba</span> and Joel Lamangan's unimaginatively titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Aishite Imasu 1941</span>, both released in 2004. The film strongly reminded me of Gilda Cordero Fernando's classic war stories <span style="font-style: italic;">People in the War</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wilderness of Sweets</span> in its detailed chronicling of a large, middle-class family's struggle to survive the war. Interesting material, indeed, but what made it even more so (at least for me) is that it's based on true stories of the filmmaker's own family.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Concerto</span></span> boasts of several plusses. Morales's assured helming is one; here's one director who obviously knows his material. The production design impresses, despite the movie's very limited budget. The actors are well cast, particularly Meryll Soriano in a performance that's more restrained than usual and Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, who very skillfully avoids reducing her character--the ever-patient and understanding matriarch--into a two-dimensional saint. And it has several wonderfully staged scenes: the fantastic sepia-toned introduction, the mother's face illuminated by mirror-reflected sunlight, the title event itself. On the downside, I have to agree with <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.gibbscadiz.com">Gibbs</a> in his <a href="http://gibbscadiz.blogspot.com/2008/07/recipe-for-swell-weekend-cinemalaya.html">mini-critique</a> of the film: it could stand further editing.<br /><br />But what really struck me most about <span style="font-style: italic;">Concerto</span> is its strong, almost insistent pacifist viewpoint. It's so strong, the United Nations, if it becomes an award-giving body like the Oscars, would give the Best Picture statuette to the film. Don't get me wrong: there's nothing wrong in espousing a pacifist stance. But there were instances I felt it threatened to undermine narrative logic and common sense. This is most obvious in the final scene: an American soldier, a Japanese civilian, and Filipinos all friendly with one another and enjoying themselves at a party held inside the reopened De La Torre house soon after the war ended. The mood was too forgiving. And there are some details that the director didn't account for, like the sudden appearance of Mr. Akiya at the concerto: where did he come from?<br /><br />The film's point cannot be denied: one can transcend differences and maintain his/her humanity, even in a heinously inhuman time. And in this case, the universal language--music--proves to be the key. <span style="font-style: italic;">Concerto</span> is an ultimately stirring ode to pacificism.<br /><br />UP NEXT: Onnah Valera and Ned Trespeces's <span style="font-style: italic;">My Fake American Accent</span>.<br /><br /></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-87282175395508343172008-07-21T23:00:00.011+08:002008-07-22T12:15:16.750+08:00Cinemalaya 2008: Ranchero<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SIStWsw7HbI/AAAAAAAAAJk/ADvx0HeiS6Q/s1600-h/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+Ranchero.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SIStWsw7HbI/AAAAAAAAAJk/ADvx0HeiS6Q/s320/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+Ranchero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225492073141706162" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Boy, do I really regret watching this movie first. It has plot holes as large as the ones you find at Loyola Memorial Park. And to think the fine opening scene holds such promise. A close friend, Mon Sarmiento (who conducted extensive research at Bilibid years ago in penning his Palanca-winning screenplay <i style="">Maria at Magdalena</i>), watched the movie with me, and he sighed and grumbled all throughout: where’s the sense of a regimented existence, of claustrophobia? And why is the dialogue between longtime <i style="">rancheros</i> (slang for prison cooks) Ricardo (a miscast Archie Adamos) and Miyong (a wasted Garry Lim) sounds so contrived, sounds as though they’ve just met? It’s almost criminal.<br /><br />That's not the end of it. For a prison, even a provincial one, it looks disconcertingly bright and clean. And that closing, lingering image of the posters of the Good Shepherd and the Crucifixion--care for (a sacrificial) lamb, anyone?--pasted side by side on a kitchen wall simply screams of OVERSTATEMENT! But what makes <span style="font-style: italic;">Ranchero</span> an appalling movie is Michael Christian Cardoz's violations of the basic rules in crafting drama. A protagonist viewers didn't get to know at all because the director had drawn him so poorly: they never even learn of the nature and circumstance of Ricardo's crime that slapped him with a ten-year jail term in the first place. A protagonist with no real problem to confront and overcome (he's scheduled to be released from prison the next day, for Chrissakes!). No tension at all, especially in the first half. No fresh insight offered on life behind bars. No kidding: it's that bad.<br /><br />If making a bad movie is a crime, then Cardoz deserves some serious confinement.<br /><br />UP NEXT: Paul Alexander Morales's <span style="font-style: italic;">Concerto</span>.<br /><br /></span></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2160814592870290903.post-41057567048196824772008-07-21T22:35:00.009+08:002008-07-21T23:40:24.951+08:00Cinemalaya 2008: Moving Foreword<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SISksQQoyEI/AAAAAAAAAJE/KHDiPOFpdcg/s1600-h/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+Festival+Poster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_veZ6_mqCDgA/SISksQQoyEI/AAAAAAAAAJE/KHDiPOFpdcg/s320/%5BCinemalaya+2008%5D+Festival+Poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225482547842566210" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Last night, the five-member jury--film critic and <span style="font-style: italic;">PDI</span> editor Lito Zulueta and actor Cesar Montano among them--of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival announced its winners in a less-than-polished awards ceremony at the CCP Main Theater:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FULL-LENGTH FILM DIVISION:</span> Film: <span style="font-style: italic;">Jay.</span> Special Jury Prize: <span style="font-style: italic;">Brutus</span>. Audience's Choice: <span style="font-style: italic;">100</span>. Director: Chris Martinez, <span style="font-style: italic;">100</span>. Actor: Baron Geisler, <span style="font-style: italic;">Jay</span>. Actress: Mylene Dizon, <span style="font-style: italic;">100</span>. Supporting Actor: Yul Servo, <span style="font-style: italic;">Brutus</span>. Supporting Actress: Eugene Domingo, <span style="font-style: italic;">100</span>. Screenplay: Chris Martinez, <span style="font-style: italic;">100</span>. Cinematography: <span style="font-style: italic;">Brutus</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Huling Pasada</span> (tie). Film Editing: <span style="font-style: italic;">Jay</span>. Production Design: <span style="font-style: italic;">Baby Angelo</span>. Original Musical Score: <span style="font-style: italic;">Brutus</span>. Sound: <span style="font-style: italic;">Ranchero</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SHORT FILM DIVISION:</span> Film: <span style="font-style: italic;">Andong</span>. Special Jury Prize: <span style="font-style: italic;">My Pet</span>. Audience's Choice: <span style="font-style: italic;">God Only Knows</span>. Director: Mark V. Reyes, <span style="font-style: italic;">God Only Knows</span>. Screenplay: Rommel Tolentino, <span style="font-style: italic;">Andong</span>. Special Jury Citation: <span style="font-style: italic;">Angan-Angan (Dreams)</span>.<br /><br />CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners, most especially to fellow playwright Chris Martinez! Ü<br /><br />What a week. A week--or more accurately, ten days--wherein I managed to watch a couple of films--some awesome, others not so much, but all more interesting than what the mainstream movie industry has been churning out today--that once again strengthen one's hopes that there's still hope yet for Philippine cinema.<br /><br /></span><span style=""></span><span style="">Unlike last year, when I watched three competing features—Jim Libiran’s <i style="">Tribu</i>, Jade Castro’s <i style="">Endo</i> and Aureaus Solito’s <i style="">Pisay</i>—and did so long after the festival ended, this year I watched seven full-length films in competition, plus two in exhibition. Sad to say, I failed to catch any of the screenings for Paul Sta. Ana and Alvin Yapan’s <i style="">Huling Pasada</i> and Francis Xavier E. Pasion’s <i style="">Jay</i>; friends and insiders I’ve talked to discouraged me from watching Joel Ruiz’s <i style="">Baby Angelo</i>. Good thing all the competing full-length features will be screened at the UP next week.<br /><br />Just like what the photo posted above says, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Ano'ng kwento mo? <span style="font-style: italic;">(What's your story?)</span></span>" was this year's festival theme. It's ironic in a way: all the competing films--save for one or two--suffered in one way or another from narrative problems. Like Michael Christian Cardoz's <span style="font-style: italic;">Ranchero</span>.<br /><br /></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596086196116755112noreply@blogger.com0